


Six, no, um Five, or Maybe Four and 1/2 Ways Jeff Carter and Mike Richards Don’t Out Themselves + One Way They Do

by bestliars



Category: Hockey RPF
Genre: 5+1 Things, Coming Out, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-08-22
Updated: 2012-08-22
Packaged: 2017-11-12 15:45:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,467
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/492920
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bestliars/pseuds/bestliars
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What the title says. (And more!)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Six, no, um Five, or Maybe Four and 1/2 Ways Jeff Carter and Mike Richards Don’t Out Themselves + One Way They Do

1.  To Avoid Getting Traded

 

Finding out about the trades was sheer dumb luck. Mike had gone into the front office to talk about some charity thing that was lined up and ended overhearing to the plan to trade him to L.A. and Jeff to  Ohio.  It wasn’t done yet, but the deals were imminent, unless something seriously changed.

 

Mike left without talking to PR and drove straight over to Jeff’s. The first part of the plan was to drink enough that the possibility of getting traded made sense. This meant they were far from sober when they started on part two, coming up with a way to not get traded. If it had been possible to somehow convince the front office that they didn’t want to trade them it would have been great, but that looked like a lost cause.  The other possibility was to somehow make themselves untradable. They thought about orchestrating an “accident” that would leave them injured until the no trade clause kicked in, but didn’t seriously consider it. Playing hockey separately was preferable to not playing hockey at all. Mike was trying to come up with an alternative when Jeff said, “What if we come out?”

 

Mike stared at him. They didn’t talk about the thing between them. It wasn’t monogamous, and lacked labels, but it had lasted years and meant a lot to them both.

 

“If we came out, as the first openly gay players in the league,  as a couple , they probably couldn’t move us, and definitely couldn’t split us up. Not without looking like homophobic assholes.”

 

Mike thought about it. It would actually work.

 

“Are you sure though?” He asked. “This would change things.” It would do more to disturb their lives than getting traded would. “I have to know that you’re actually ok with this, that you’re choosing this because of what it is, not just because it’s better than Ohio.”

 

“I’m sure,” Jeff said. “This isn’t the ideal situation, but I kind of always thought this might happen someday.”

 

“Yeah?”

 

“Yeah. Because we’re sort of forever, and you can’t really hide forever."

 

Forever is an awfully long time. Forever with Jeff in Philadelphia sounded awfully nice. Mike grinned. “Great. It’s a plan.”

 

 

 

2\. At LAX

Jeff isn’t sorry. Columbus was the worst. Kissing was a perfectly reasonable reaction to getting reunited with his boyfriend. It wasn’t even a showy kiss. Almost a peck, but not quite. It was the type of kiss someone’s parents could exchange without being an embarrassment. If anything, he should be complimented on his restraint. Ohio had been a very, very miserable place. This was a just quiet kiss and most people ignored it.

This was Los Angeles, people wanted to see Bradgelina’s kids, not hockey players. Unfortunately, it was the Los Angeles airport, and filled with people from all over the world, including one beat reporter from Philadelphia.

The guy didn’t get a picture of them kissing, but he wrote about what he saw and he got a picture of them “holding hands” where they weren’t even holding hands but their hands were hanging next to each other and it looked like they were touching but that was just a trick of the perspective because they weren’t holding hands. Not right then, anyway.

The guy’s story and the pics were enough to get picked up by Deadspin, and then the cat was out of the bag. People generally think it’s adorable, which isn’t great, but considering the possible outrage not that bad. The Kings thought it was good publicity. They just wish that not so many headlines decided to use the word “Starcrossed.” It was a bit witty the first time, but now it’s just old.

  


3\. Immediately After Winning the Stanley Cup

It is the best ever romance novel ending. They won the Stanley Cup together and then, overjoyed, they made out on the ice. It was a heat of the moment thing, they deal with the repercussions later. The crowd, already cheering for the Cup is started cheering for them too, catcalls that their teammates join in on. It’s almost too much happiness to stand.

 

  


4\. Married in Vegas

They were just drunk enough that getting married seemed like a legitimate adult decision, and not a disaster. They were sober enough that they remember everything with just a few soft edges. The rings came from the hotel gift shop, not a vending machine. They thought about going to one of the “classy” wedding parlors, but the amusement value of getting married by Elvis won out. They picked the “Blue Hawaii Package,” with optional hula girl, which means in the pictures they’re both wearing leis and Jeff has Elvis sunglasses on top of his head. They ate wedding cake from the Stanley Cup. It tasted really good.

They looked ridiculous in the pictures that would up online, but more noticeably, they looked tremendously happy, like people in love should.

 

 

5\. People Thought It Was A Joke, So It Might Not Even Count

 

They talked about coming out before, and felt like the right time. It was less about making a statement than it is a desire to live their lives without any lies, not even ones of omission. They didn’t want to make a huge deal so they just call up Cabbie to set up a special interview. It’s be easy with him. He’s their bro and had known for a while. They wanted to keep things low key.

They made a little video of them chilling at home, being domestic as fuck, leaving in all the endearments and small touches that had always been private before. There was a short Q&A where they talked about their relationship vaguely. It wasn’t super revealing, because it isn’t like their sex life is anyone else’s business (though it is pretty great), but it felt good to be honest in ways that they hadn’t been before.

Apparently it wasn’t enough. People assume that it’s a self deprecating joke about how weird they are about each other. They go back and watch some of their old interviews and realize that maybe they were never as good at hiding their emotions as they had thought.

Whatever. They won’t be hiding anymore, the rest of the world will catch on when it’s ready.

 

 

 

6\. ~~Respectably~~

 

They did an interview with the Advocate with a photoshoot where they dress up and hold hands and look nice. They became poster boys of You Can Play and made an It Gets Better video together. They went on Ellen. It was all good publicity.

 

Only no, who are we kidding, there’s no way that’s what would actually happen, because this is Jeff Carter and Mike Richards. They wouldn’t do respectable.

 

  1. Winning the Stanley Cup for Second Time



 

The last time they were here they weren’t ready. Their relationship wasn’t as steady, hockey seemed less accepting, they were too used to holding back. This time there was a plan; if they win again, they’ll come out.

When it happens they aren’t really thinking about it. They’re stuck on how awesome it is that they’ve won the cup together, again. The third period ends and the whole team piles out on the ice, everyone’s hugging and cheering and smiling like fools. At some point Jeff finds Mike and just doesn’t let go. Carpet is put out and people’s families are coming onto the ice. There are officials and press people everywhere, and they’re basically holding hands. No one’s said anything yet, they knew it would only be a matter of time.

Their teammates already knew. They even warned Dustin about what they were about to do because he was the captain and could be held responsible for their actions. He just congratulated them and said it was about damn time. 

The L.A. Kings were presented the Stanley Cup for the second time ever and it was just about perfect. The only time they weren’t touching was taking their turns to hoist the cup.

They aren’t going to say anything yet, they don't want to steal the team's thunder. They won this  together, which doesn't mean just the two of them, it means everyone. They go out that night with the team and it's almost as crazy as last time, but not quite. They've grown up a lot in the last few years, and their held hands seem to keep them closer to the ground, in a good way. They're drinking less, but it tastes sweeter. They'll release an official announcement in a couple of days—they have one drafted already—but they don't want it to get in the way of the celebration.  For now it's enough that they know where they stand: together. They're not hiding this time.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks so much to Stellarer and E for putting up with this thing and my inability to finish it, especially E for letting me chat fic the end at her when she should have been sleeping.
> 
> Also, isn't it a good thing that I didn't think about the possibility of a leaked sex tape until I had finished the bulk of this thing? I am happy about that. 
> 
> And the wedding package described is real! Because research is important or whatever. http://www.gracelandchapel.com/elvis-wedding-packages/


End file.
